morning with president obama delivering an impassioned tribute to the man who was his inspiration, nelson mandela. tens of thousands listened intently through the driving rain at africa's largest stadium. 90 world leaders in the crowd, including president clinton, secretary clinton, and their daughter, chelsea, along with former presidents bush and president carter. the president's speech, part remembrance, part call to action to follow nelson mandela's example. >> around the world today, men and women are still imprisoned for their political beliefs and are still persecuted for what they look like and how they worship and who they love. that is happening today. and so we too must act on behalf of justice. >> i want to bring in our company. char lane hunter galt and mark. good morning to both of you. we saw thousands of people in addition to those 90 plus world leaders who walked in the rain, who sat for hours in a driving rain. describe for us the feeling, the emotion there. >> well, it's been going on all week but i think it reached a peak today at the stadium where people saw all of th

memorial for nelson mandela, barack obama gave us one of the days most memorable images, this is him shaking hands with cuba's leader recall castro. america has not had formal diplomatic relations with cuba since 1959. joining us to talk about this, a contributor with the daily beast, and is live from washington, d.c. and a good to have you on al jazeera, certainly one of the strongest images of the day, and obama shaking hands and even exchanging a few words. first off, how is this being viewed? is it stirring any drove? >> maybe a little bit in the twitter universes, but the days of the real aminty between the u.s. and cuba is behind us. president obama carries florida in the last election, i think he even carried the cuban american vote. because the younger generations don't feel the hostile feelings towards the cast drove brothers. some people would hope that the empargo would be ended before this president leaves office. i wouldn't bet on that, necessarily. but president obama has taken steps to ease travel to cuba, and to make it easier for cuban americans to send remit tans ho

, paying tribute to nelson mandela. president obama was among the speakers and yes, he did shake hands with cuban president raul castro. lawmakers are back in washington and the pressure is on to end the year in a productive note. congress has to vote on the list of issue as massive defense bill and a farm bill, but perhaps the biggest issue once again is the budget. >> the international space station turning 15 today. but at a cost of $180 billion some are wondering if the investment was worth it. shows us what life is like onboard. >> the international space station orbits 300-kilometers above the earth. 2 1/2 years after if completed if it is onboard are now focused on research, but science in space comes at a price, in this case, a hefty $150 billion for construction, and another $2 billion a year to keep it running. >> it was held with developing drugs for example, that chemical and biological reas in the absence -- and we can determine the way this takes place, and perhaps emphasize new drugs and cures for cancer, who knows. these are completely unpredictable. >> the states that

student named barack obama. >> in every walk of life, the world thanks you for sharing nelson mandela with us. his struggle was your struggle. his triumph was your triumph. your dignity and your hope found expression in his life. and your freedom, your democracy, is his cherished legacy. >> reporter: regards for mandela crosses racial and political boundaries. the u.s. and cuba have no formal diplomatic relations but here today the president of the u.s. and president raul castro of cuba sat on the same stage with leaders from africa, asia, south america, the middle east. they came not so much to mourn the loss of mandela but to celebrate his life. >> nelson mandela reminds us that it always seems impossible until high school done. south africa shows that it's true. south africa shows we can change, that we can choose a world defined not by our differences but by our common hopes. we will miss him deeply. may god bless the memory of nelson mandela. may god bless the people of south africa. >> reporter: the body of nelson mandela will now be moved to pretoria, the national capit

the e.u. >> and a day of prayer for nelson mandela. president obama and two former presidents expected to attend the memorial service for the late former president. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. as a power struggle grips thailand the prime minister calls for fresh elections. the thousands of protesters in the capital say it's not enough. wayne hay has the latest from bangkok. >> there's no indication from the anti-government protesters that the announcement from the prime minister yingluck shinawatra, that she will dissolve parliament. the goals have changed. they said they would accept the solution and the resignation of the prime minister. that changed into the goal being the removal of the thaksin shinawatra regime - referring to the former prime minister ousted in a coup in 2006 and lives in self-impressed exile. his cysister, yingluck shinawat is the prime minister at the moment. >> at the moment they are continuing a push towards of the office of the prime minister, government house, where they say this will be their final attempt to remove this go.

point, president obama said nelson mandela makes me want to be a better man. you mentioned raul castro, of course, with nearly 100 world leaders gathered at this event, there were bound to be surprises. raul castro was on the diaz and speaking, as well as president obama. it would have been sort the of impolite. it would have been kind of a slap, really, if the president had gone up on stage and not greeted the cuban leader. that's par for the course at these types of events. as you also know, carol, he embraced president russov of brazil, a country that has been steamed at the united states because of those surveillance issues. he is headed away from the stadium and headed back to a rendezvous point before heading back to the united states. carol? >> going back to that handshake, maybe scottie can put it back up on the screen, the handshake between president obama and raul castro. quote, we have to reject the policies we put into place in 1961. in other words, it's time to end the nation's cold war standoff with cuba. i know what you said about this handshake, jim, but this sur

himself. and i think this is barack obama that kind of opened up to the spirit nelson mandela who, after all, was one of the most warmest, congenial, open politicians. you know, obama himself has been criticized as being colder and not as open. and the thing about mandela is the lesson that all politicians can learn from him is that while kefs very strategic, he was also very open, kept his enemies close and was also never too busy for the people. >> yeah. i mean, when i met him in cape town, south africa, back in 199 at the presidential residence, he was still president of south africa, he took me around. couldn't have been nicer, couldn't have been warmer not just during the formal sitdown interview but privately when we chatted, spoke about family and other things, he was a very, very impressive dignified man. >> and you have to wonder whether we're ever going to see the likes of any kind of an inspirational iconic political figure like that again. >> yeah. >> we just don't -- >> he was unique. we will miss him. gloria, thanks very much. the president, by the way, is getting ready to

. jimmy carter had unique relationships with nelson mandela. barack obama had an important personal connection, also the connection, charlene was talking about that. george w. bush was really transformed in many ways, the pepfar agreement, all the work he's done since and repeated trips to tanzania. >> even people who didn't like george w. bush's politics or wars, whatever, have to give him credit for the pepfar program which literally saved millions of lives especially in southern africa providing retro viral drugs for aids to people who otherwise would not have had this lifesaving treatment. it's an astonishing accomplishment and recognized and appreciated across the continent where he's probably more popular than he is anywhere in the world. >> i was going to say um becki, mandela's successor has a reaction area view that aids somehow was not the treatment and so banned retro viral drugs. it was mandela and mandela foundation that stepped in and pepfar and george w. bush that filled the gap. >> that's right. remember, ten years ago epicenter of the aids epidemic, demographic and

what a magnificent soul it was. >> president obama eulogizing nelson mandela as one of the greatest leaders of our time. and in south africa, rain is a blessing. the rain pouring down on joe hanesburg as tens of thousands mourned mandela's death. hi, everybody, good morning. i'm thomas roberts. mandela remembered as a prisoner, a president and giant of history. president obama was greeted with cheers as he first sat down at the stadium. it was a chance to memorialize one of his personal heroes. >> while i will always fall short of his example, he makes me want to be a better man. he speaks to what's best inside us. >> and then one of those moments where time seemed to slow was that handshake between president obama and cuba's raul castro, bringing together two very unlikely people. now two of the nearly 100 world leaders who gathered there in solidarity, and there were some certainly memorable moments in that stadium to honor nelson mandela, the man. >> nelson mandela showed us a way with a heart larger than this stadium. >> joining me now is nbc's ron allen. ron, this was certainly

. president obama and the first lady will travel to south africa for nelson mandela's memorial service next week. >> hello, welcome no al jazeera america, i'm morgan radford live from new york city. reinforcements on the town in trying to end the violence. nearly 400 people have been killed in the fighting in the past three days. france is dispatching more than 1,000 troops and the african union plans to double its forces. 10,000 have fled the capital. officials ordered everyone off the streets of bangui. for the latest on the crisis we start in bangui. a warning - you may find some of these images disturbing. >> french soldiers on food patrol in bangui. this is new to the city and welcomeded by men. they are here to reassure people enough to open up shops. at the moment there's no food or medicine. there's little the french can do about the growing sectarian violence between muslims and christians. >> translation: we muslims have been here for 200 years. they are killing us every day. anti-balaka christians killed more than 200. >> this is where many christiansar sheltering, close to

tribute for nelson mandela was underway in johannesburg with a joyful crowd dancing in the stadium as president obama honored the legacy. our reporter has more on the celebration for a man who changed the world. >> the world descended on johannesburg to celebrate the life of nelson mandela. tens thousands singing and dancing in a downpour. that is a sign in after a. >> when it rains it means your goals are welcoming you. >> four united states presidents, obama, bush, chip ton -- clinton and carter, joins 94,000 in the soccer. president obama greeted cuban leader raul castro, coming together to honor the man that south africa called madiba. and madiba would give voice to the claims of the oppressed like martin luther king. >> his lifelong fight for freedom is remembered through song. ♪ madiba >> and prayer. >> we beseech you in your great loving kindness, the soul of nelson mandela. >> three of his grandchild took the stage. amen, women, and children side-by-side, dreaming the same dream. >> residents of his home village watched the memorial live on tv. the former president will b

nelson mandela this week. president obama leaves this morning for johannesburg where he'll tend tomorrow's massive public memorial. former presidents clinton, bush and carter will also be in attendance along with more than 50 heads of states. the head of south africa's national defense force says the country is prepared for the challenge of keeping so many dignitaries safe. 11,000 soldiers have been deployed around the country to protect the mourners. >> we believe that the people will be watching how south africa will perform. >> reporter: this makeshift memorial outside nelson mandela's former home is one of the places where south africans have been gathering since his death. a weekend of mourning was topped off on sunday with a day of pray. south africans of all races and religious backgrounds sang and prayed for the man credited with uniting a country once bitterly divided. >> nelson mandela is a man who fought for me when i was not born yet. >> reporter: mandela's ex-wife was one of those attending prayer services. >> wusa9 will be covering a week of tributes to knell zahn

nelson mandela's death, president obama ordered flags to be flown at half staff. one citizen says no, that is not right. why not? it seems like a gesture of respect. why isn't he lowering the flag? >> pickens county sheriff rick clark doesn't think it has place in south carolina in his county. he says this type of honor should be reserved for americans. nelson mandela is not an her can. he laid out his argument to our local affiliate, whns. take a listen. >> so a sign of respect for what nelson mandela has done. i have no problem with lowering in south africa for their country. but in our country, it is for our people who have sacrificed for our country. >> rick clark says it is the right thing to do at u.s. embassy in south africa but no place here at home. it had been quite easy to keep the flag at half staff. they had a deputy die earlier this week. they already had the flag half staff. they were also honoring pearl harbor. so it would have been easy for them to keep it up. >> he has some support. people say he is doing the right thing. what is the feedback? >> it is overwhelming

presidents and almost 100 heads of state are honoring the life of nelson mandela. president obama is set to speak and we will take you there live when it happens. >> speaking of president obama, thanks for the health care. by the way, you may lose your plan now, you may lose your doctor. and you know what? it could get even worse. >> the list of drugs the plans cover in many cases aren't very long. if the drugs aren't covered, you're on your

africa to pay tribute to nelson mandela and crowds of people condition to gather outside his home since news of the foam antiapartheid leaders tough death broke. president and mrs. obama will attend the new jersey memorial service along with former presidents george w. bush, bill clinton and majority. it will be held at the stadium where mandela made the final public appearance at the 2010 world cup and will lie in state if three days in the capital before he is finally laid to rest after a state funeral next sunday. >> back in the bay area, a book of condoleents for nelson mandela's family be available starting today at the san francisco city hall if people to sign. a memorial book will be available at the memorial park in san mateo county and champion of the chimes locations in oakland and hayward. you can sign the book from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily until the end of the month planning to send the books to nelson mandela's family in south africa. >> we are learning of the veteran held captive in north korea if a if -- for a month. the 85-year-old is at a local home. he came

. more than 90 world leaders are expected to attend nelson mandela's memorial. efforts to keep them all safe and secure in south africa. >>> car pile ups massive air delays. >>> and major technology companies joining forces to battle the nsa. >>> president obama is on his way to south africa. he is heading the u.s. delegation honoring nelson mandela. the president leaving on air force one just a few hours ago. former president george w. bush and his wife laura are also on board joining first lady michelle obama and the president. president's clinton and carter will attend the service scheduled for tuesday in south africa. george r. h.w bush is the only former president that will not be there. >>> alan is near johannesburg. he has more on how the people of south africa are remembering nelson mandela. and he's a father figure being honored in cities large and small 1234 absolutely, del, and people here and in nelson mandela square in the rain at 7:00 in south africa, a soggy evening, but it doesn't seem to offend the crowds much. they have been coming here constantly to the many tribu

obama ordered u.s. flags ordered to half-staff until tomorrow in honor of nelson mandela. it was lowered in a police station in south carolina, but it had nothing to do with man l mande mandela. instead it was for a deputy killed in the line of duty and in remembrance of pearl harbor. today the flag is flying at full staff and in direct defiance of the president. he explained why he refused? a shoaf sign of respect to what nelson mandela has done, and i have no problem for them lowering it in south africa, but in our country, it's for the people that sacrificed for our country. >> he faces no legal action and he's grateful that he can disagree with the president without fearing a reprimand. >>> a newlywed couple is accused of killing a man simply for the thrill of it. that's when police are saying about this young couple. they were married just three weeks at the time of the alleged krim. the details are horrific. alexandra field is on the story northwest of philadelphia. what are you learning? >>. >> reporter: deb, elytte barbour are telling police he and his new wife wanted to

, president obama and the first lady leave today to attend if memorial for nelson mandela in south africa. it will be one of the largest gatherings of the national dignitaries in years. alphonso van marsh is in south africa with a preview. alphonso, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. as you mentioned authorities are rushing to prepare for that massive memorial that will be held tomorrow at the stadium. now, that stadium holds some 95,000 people, but authorities are bracing to see a whole lot more. south africans are preparing for public services for nelson mandela this week. president obama leaves this morning for johannesburg where he'll attend tomorrow's massive public memorial. former presidents bush, clinton, and carter will also be in attendance along with 50 heads of state, making it one of the world's largest gathers in recent history. >> this is a test for us. >> reporter: the national task force says the country is prepared for keeping so many dignitaries safe. 11,000 soldiers have been set in place around the country to protect the mourners. >> we believ

report now and more of the day's headlines. vice-president biden paying tribute now to nelson mandela. he signed a condolence book at the south african embassy in washington. president obama scheduled to speak at a memorial service for mandela tomorrow. he died last week at the age of 95. >>> police in phoenix say a man pulled out a gun in the emergency room of a hospital and turned into a three-hour standoff as the guy locked himself inside a bathroom. the cops out there for three hours. eeventually surrendered. >>> iran's opening its first ice rink in more than 30 years. the leaders outlawed ice rinks in the islamic revolution in 1979, but the view now, the new facility, will give skaters, who want to go to the olympics, a place to prepare for the 2014 games. not a single woman in the video. that's still against the law. >>> 23 minute's the hour. lots of americans with modest incomes are facing higher deductibles under president obama's healthcare law, according to "the wall street journal," which cites a report from a company that compares health insurance plans. this report shows

atlanta. >>> to the top story, the memorial service for nelson mandela. thousands have gathered in the cold and rain in a stadium to mourn mandela and to celebrate his life. >> president obama is among the world leaders paying his respects. he arrived with the first lady. president george w. bush, his wife, laura, and former e serk tear of state hillary clinton. we'll have a complete update on "good morning america." >>> concern this is morning about the fate of a missing nevada family. >> the two adults and four children set out for a day in the snow and they have not been heard from since. it's an especially dangerous situation since temperatures have dipped below zero both nights. and the area is remote and vast. >> it's the proverbial needle in the hay stack. >> they'll be searching the area by plane again this morning as soon as it gets light out. >>> a corruption scandal. 18 current and former deputies are accused of mistreating former jail mates and visitors. one visitor thrown into a refrigerator and locked up for five days without being charged. they're always accused of hidin

surprise. we saw au president obama arriving on stage to pay tribute to nelson mandela and you see there the handshake. shaking hands with the cuban president raul u castro. a bit of a symbolic moment because of the strained relations that we mentioned earlier. patrick opman is our man in havana. i suppose when it comes to that handshake, it was nelson mandela's memorial. so in the spirit of reconciliation, he couldn't ignore raul castro. how is it being seen there in havana? >> if this wasn't the handshake heard around the world it's certainly is the handshake heard all over havana. i've been talking to people. it's all they have to talk about. they want to know what it means for them and future in cuba/u.s. relations. was is just a simple courtesy or does it mean there could be a change after all these years of really no change between how the two the countries get along or don't get along. this comes after months of a slight warming in relations. u.s. diplomats are now able to travel are outside havana more regularly. and the same for their cuban counterparts in washington, d.c.

divest in investments in south africa. the funeral for nelson mandela will be one of the biggest funerals the world has ever seen. officials preparing to welcome more than 91 current, former heads of state for this memorial. and president obama en route along with former president george w. bush. rare they're on air force one together. decided to get a ride. >> hitched a ride. they're going to be joined, of course, by former presidents bill clinton who was also close to any son mandela, as you said, and jimmy carter, too. he's going for the memorial service. some other world leaders who plan to attend for mr. mandela are the u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon, david cameron, prince charles is going. the french president, francois hollande and even the cuban president, as we said he had ties with cuba in the past, raul castro, list goes on and on of dignitaries. >> of course, with president obama and three of his predecessors going to south africa, you can imagine what robin was talking about, and that is security and the kind of complex situation they're dealing with potentially

president obama. >> i think the symbolic value is that what nelson mandela fought for building a rainbow nation represented when barack obama, the president of the united states stands up there, a young man who started his political and policy career marching as a foot soldier around anti-apartheid and now comes as the head of the free world. it's befitting, it shows achievement and something that nelson mandela would be most proud of. >> i got to tell few. i love the picture of the presidents over there bringing both parties together. george w. bush, a man yesterday we were talking about who actually as a president who did more for africa than any other president. >> that's right. >> which is a legacy. part of that bush legacy you don't hear but you have three presidents down there in george w. bush and bill clinton and barack obama who i think represent us very well especially at this time. >> absolutely. you know, you go back to the relationship that mandela had with all these men and how personal it seemed with all of them when president obama came out on thursday and made his statem

little shorter thanks to tata. >> meanwhile president obama has called nelson mandela's wife to express condolences. >> the president and first lady will go to south africa for memorial event next week. nelson mandela met president obama in 2005. former presidents cloipt clinton and bush will travel to south africa. >> let's here about the event for the week ahead. >> south africa is preparing a week of events. flags fly at half mast. sunday is designated as a national day of prayer and reflection. the nation's people are asked to remember nelson mandela in their thoughts and prayers. tuesday the 10th is the next most important day. the day when the national memorial service will be held at the soccer city stadium. it conceded 95,000 people. it was the site of the 2012 world cup final and known as the kalabash. it's a cooking pot shaped in the form of a cooking pot. wednesday to friday nelson mandela's body will lie in state in the union building in pretoria. that's the official residents of the current president jacob zuma. there'll be many memorial services throughout the coun

madiba. a week-long tribute in south africa for nelson mandela gets under way. the farewell will include president obama and former u.s. presidents. >>> newlywed murder. a trial set to begin today for a young bride accused of pushing her new husband off the cliff. as new details in this case emerge. >> edge of the world. no harness, no safety net. a daredevil takes his handstand to new heights. >>> and good monday morning. we begin with snow-covered runways and roadways following a wintry storm that seemed to catch people offguard. >> and it's not over yet. a look at the radar there. after a day of snow and ice, the slow-moving system still stretching from the deep south all the way up to maine. >> and this is what it did overnight in the northern suburbs of new york city, icy roads contributed to this nasty multi-car pileup in yonkers. it sent 40 people to the hospital. no one was killed. >>> more than 1,000 flights have been canceled today across the country. a number that's sure to grow. here's a live look at philadelphia's international airport where more than eight inches of

since just the month of august. iran is the leader in executions. president obama and other dignitaries are on their way to south africa to attend tomorrow's memorial service from nelson mandela. hitching a ride on air force one th the president and michele obama, former president george w. bush and former secretary of state, hillary clinton. bill clinton and jimmy carter also expected to attend the memorial but they are traveling separately. and a collection of troubling new obamacareevelopments tonight. the architect of the president's health care law moing along substantially when it comes to the president's impetus and false declaration that we could keep our doctors if we wanted to. here is ezekiel emanuel on fox news sunday. >> didn't they s if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor? >> yes. >> but if you want to pay more, you can do that. this is a matter of choice. andif yo want to, you can pay for it. lou: he would be called an elitist for his remarks if he were a republican, so h gets away with it as a liberal. "the wall street journal" reporting that lower

waiting for u.s. president barack obama. he's supposed to be the next speaker up here at the nelson mandela memorial. and that was important, i think, that he made this point to crowd. because this is a memorial and it is a solemn occasion, but there really is an unusual spirit of jubilation here because of what nelson mandela meant. we'll take a quick break. when we come back, we'll be waiting for the united states president to address this crowd at the nelson mandela memorial here in south africa. stay with us. >> we've been proud of you, madiba. beat, not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts jim at a greater risk of stroke. for years, jim's medicine tied him to a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but now, with once-a-day xarelto®, jim's on the move. jim's doctor recommended xarelto®. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce afib-related stroke risk. but xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. so jim's not

god bless the memory of nelson mandela. may god bless the people of south africa. >> reporter: president obama and former presidents carter, clinton and george w. bush led the american delegation. during his eulogy. president obama called mandela a giant of justice. comparing him to gandhi, lincoln and dr. king. >> he changed laws. but he also changed hearts. >> reporter: the president added mandela's work is not done. >> around the world today, men and women are still in prison for their political beliefs and are still persecuted for what they look like, and how they worship and who they love. that is happening today. >> reporter: before talking about mandela's legacy of reconciliation, he shook hands with cuban leader raul castro. south african oscar winner charlize theron and proctor bono -- rock star bono were among the ones in the crowd. they came to honor and remember and celebrate a man who united a nation and inspired generations, alphonso van marsh, johannesburg south africa. >> tributes are also planned here in the united states including one this week in washington,

still a lot of work to be done to get local health services back up and running. >>> today nelson mandela was remembered with a national day of prayer and re flexion. mourn -- reflection. mourners gather in front of his former home. president obama and the first lady will be attending a memorial service on tuesday. in the bay area there will be a book for people to pay tribute to nelson mandela, starting tomorrow in oakland, san mateo and hayward, on wednesday there will be a civic memorial at city hall in san francisco. >> a pg&e worker is being treated for minor burns after a job-related accident. he was responding to a power outage. the worker was trying to put a transformer in a box. the transformer failed and he suffered burns to his hands and face. other crews rye placed the transformer. power was returned by noon. >> how a california man got a jump on ringing in the new year. plus, holiday parade too hot to handle. what investigators say caused this float inferno. temperatures are dropping out there tonight. we'll find out how much longer this cold snap will last. thosed ew

tributable to nelson mandela. nelson mandela's ex-wife winnie attended a church service. president obama, george w. bush and clinton will travel to south africa for memorial services. >> we go to our correspondent at the soweto church where services wrapped up. what is significant about this church? these are some of the church members in the church listening to the service. this building was a lot of things to many people. up therefore on the painting on the wall is the painting of a great activist. we have nelson mandela, and archbishop desmond tutu. during apartheid students running from the police used to come in and hide. there were occasions that police would come in and shoot them, and several have died in this building. it's an emotional time, an historical place. it shows how far the country has come. >> you mentioned people cowering in the church. what are religious leaders saying today about madeba's passing. >> the message is simple. it was think about the good things and learn from him. one thing was be a good person. the police were saying for example, share a meal with a f

president barack obama made sure nelson mandela was there. >> in his life he blessed us with tremendous grace and courage. >> mandela came to america june 1990, five months after the release from prison arriving first in new york for a parade down the canyon of heros. the big apple capper yankees stadium. >> you know who i am. i am a yankee. >> reporter: from there to the white house where mandela's cause was not always embraced and a meeting with the first president bush. >> may god bless you and the people of south africa. thank you. >> then an address to congress. >> you have given us the power to join hands with all people of countries to fight for the victory of democracy and human rights throughout the world. >> we mentioned bushes are flying with the first family. so is former secretary of state hillary clinton. former president clinton and daughter chelsea will go separate. >> they're working out you logistics. >> very chaotic situation. >>> more than 50 million people live in south africa. the loss of mandela is bringing them together like never before. houses of wor

more than 50 world leaders will arrive to honor nelson mandela. that number growing. president obama leaving on air force one tomorrow night with the first lady, of course, who met mandela with her daughters. the obamas have invited former president george w. bush and laura bush to travel them. the bushes have said they will. former president clinton and hillary clinton making the trip, as will former president jimmy carter, too. tonight, we learned queen elizabeth, who met mandela a number of times, has asked that her son prince charles attend in her place. and on this sunday in south africa, a day of prayer. and word from one of nelson mandela's daughters, during his final days. abc's byron pitts is there. >> reporter: this sunday was soaked in symbolism. the former township, once the epicenter of the anti-apartheid movement. grief and gratitude stretched across generations. he spoke for a nation. >> i'm here today, he fought for our freedom. if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here. we wouldn't be having all the things that we have. >> reporter: for nelson mandela's memorial serv

obama. we've lost one of the most influential courageous whimper from a good human beings that many of us will share time with on this earth. south africa is now entering a period of mourning for nelson mandela the people here also want to celebrate his life. i can see mr you buy a decent routine some content is due next monday. really. he was three times the retail as you can tune in to read it and would come from and was key. i was in front of his house and again he came back to simply tell he's in he's hitting years in prison. it didn't really see her because it constitutes an ac. and then off to bed and then he became president in ninety four c2 list i was in and out of the day in ca who discusses his press conferences in tv it's him. he did towards him okie this just might get his presents he came into their new teammates as he was the m e i mean he was of royal campbell and dad and that you need this review i'll delete on main theories to tea with studded team and candidates always accomplishment when standing at how wonderfully it and asked me about gifts and mini holiday on. an

look at the top headlines. a memorial service being held for nelson mandela today. president obama spoke this morning to a crowd which included world leaders, celebrities, royals, and tens of thousands of south africans. nelson mandela last thursday at age of 95. lulu lemon -- the founder of the company is stepping down as chairman. he will be replaced by the lead director. the ceo is also step down and will be replaced by former toms shoe president. all because of those sheer yoga pants. a drugmaker warns that its earnings will miss analysts estimates next year if regulators allow generic companies of a multiple -- of a multiple sclerosis drug. we will be back in two minutes. ♪ bitcoin has been a speculative frenzy lately. but will all the attention celebrating the 12 days of bitcoin -- not really a traditional holiday. matt miller is here for a day two. on the second day of bitcoin, matt miller gave to me -- what have we got? >> today is the day where i start experimenting with all the different kinds of stuff i can buy. each day we are going to do something different with bitc

a deal with the e.u. had been rejected. >> events to honour the 95-year-old nelson mandela is expected to be one of the biggest gatherings of dignitaries and heads of states. barack obama is among those attending and speak. he be joined by three previous presidents, including george w. bush, bill clinton and jimmy carter. also ban ki-moon will speak. kofi annan, his predecessor will be in tansd. iran president hassan rouhani and british prime minister david cameron, joined by gordon browbrown, tony blair and mr major. nicholas sar cosy will join francis hollande. >> can you tell me how much people in south africa will use this as an event to determine how south africa is today? >> i think that will be what today is about. as well as watching on the tv screens at home, i think people will reflect on the way the country changed in the last 20 years. we are about to celebrate 20 years of freedom since the first democratic election. people will be looking back at the early years thinking about nelson mandela's influence no building the country we see today. it will be a time of ce

in the united states. president obama has talked often about nelson mandela. there are several members of congress who on more than one occasion have talked about mandela and the impact he has had not just on politics and life in south africa, but on politics around the world, even here in this country. a nobel peace prize winner. someone who the anti-apartheid movement here in the united states looked to when he was in prison in robin island and other places. his release in 1990 and going on to become the leader of south africa. lot of lessons to be learned from his life. i am waiting word not only from the white house, but the congress and their reaction to the deaths of nelson man -- mandela. >> you did some reporting on president obama's south african trip, where president obama was very mindful of mr. mandela's health. remind the viewers of what president obama did when he went to south africa several months ago? >> well, again, i wasn't on that trip, but there was oncern, some talk even then. nelson mandela was in failing health at that time. that perhaps his visit to sou

-old is aware that nelson mandela has died. the family says they would welcome prayers at this time? >>> coming up next, president obama wants to verify before he can trust iran. can israel trust that deal? we're going to talk with israel's intelligence minister about what is at stake and he's joining us live here next. >>> and is president obama overstepping his executive branch. that's when america's news headquarters comes right back. [ paper rustles, outdoor sounds ] ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of anoth one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. ♪ if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor [ female announcer ] can you heal a brok heart with a bundt cake? of course you can! even if that heart was broken by zack peterson. bake the world a better place i need a newn'testle investment pn.h i need to rethink the core of my portfolio. ishares core etfs are low-cost funds. so you can keep

right now are philadelphia international and regan national near washington. >>> president obama is making a long trip from washington to south africa to honor civil rights legend nelson mandela. tomorrows memorial service will serve as a rare reunion of nearly all of the living american presidents. kpix5 is in the news room now and the number of dig any tar its i imagine is giving south african police quite a security challenge. >> reporter: yes, frank. more than 80,000 mourners are expected to attend the memorial and thousands of police officers will be on hand and right now a memorial outside nelson mandela's former home is growing as well as a crowd of south africans who have come together since his death. >> police are preparing today for a memorial service for nelson mandela at a soccer stadium tomorrow. president obama leaves this morning for south africa where he will attend the massive public memorial. former presidents bush, clinton and carter will also be in attendance along with more than 50 heads of state, making it one of the largest gatherings the world leaders in rec

leaders are ready to converge on south africa to pay tribute to nelson mandela including president obama. the commander in chief's early morning departure and events planned for the late south african leader. >> first though, the sound of music, michael finney teams up with "consumer reports" to find out if you really need to spend out if you really need to spend big bucks to get [ bettina ] my dentist said to me that i had acid erosion. he actually told me that a lot of the foods that i thought were really healthy for me can do damage to the enamel on my teeth. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel. pronamel will help protect the enamel from future erosion. mwhat does that firstd spoonful taste likok. honey bunches of oats. ching! mmmm! mmmm! mmmm! wow! it's the oats. honey. yeah. honey bunches of oats. this is a great cereal. ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regime

crowd is expected to honor nelson mandela, it is the same stadium where the former president made his appearance three years ago. the arena has seats for 95,000 people and president obama is one of those scheduled to speak. he and the first lady left washington this morning headed to that event, traveling with them, a former president george w bush, and wyatt laura, meanwhile, one of the mandela's daughters joins the hundreds that will continue to stop by the families home in suburbans johannesburg just to pay tribute. president obama is part of an impressive list of world leaders attending tuesday's historic event, a look at who is going and who is not, from our jonathan bets. close to 100 have r super bowlcps so far. the queen of england can't make it but prince carl can. british prime minister will join nearly every other european head of state. so is the palestinian president, but not israeli prime minister. he is concerned about the high travel and security costs. other no shows include russian president vladimir putin, and the dalai lama. china has made it very difficult for him

? we have everything you need to know. >>> and remember nelson mandela. president obama, the first

many around the globe i cannot fully imagine my own wife without the example that nelson mandela set. and so long as i live i will do what i can to learn from him. like president obama many other young americans growing up in the seventy's and eighty's cut their political teeth in the anti-apartheid movement for them mandela a political prisoner for twenty seven years was an icon of perseverance in the face of injustice inspired them then and he continues to inspire them now but mandela wasn't a hero to everyone reagan called him a terrorist and to this day many republicans will not forgive his friendship with cuban leader fidel castro he was actually on the u.s. terror watch list until the last year the george w. bush presidency now more than ever is a time to take a look back at the legacy of nelson mandela and his often complicated relationship with the united states and its leaders for more on this i'm joined now by activist joe madison host joe madison show on sirius x.m. joe welcome back you know if you reminded me when you were just reciting the way that conservatives. treated

. >> indeed. >>> a note about the live nbc coverage of the memorial events honoring nelson mandela, early tomorrow morning, 4:00 a.m. eastern time to be exact. we'll be in soweto as leaders from around the world pay tribute at a national memorial service. president obama, of course, leading the u.s. delegation. >>> now we transition from here to the big story back home. tonight the national weather service says 48 million americans are living in areas under a winter weather advisory of some sort. all of it related to this big and sprawling and really relentless winter storm system that ultimately stretched out from texas in the west all the way north to maine knocking out power and causing a mess on roads and at airports. it sure did make for interesting nfl games yesterday. nbc's tom costello is in icy cold washington, d.c., for us this evening. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian. we've had 24 hours of ice and snow. many schools are out. and now we're bracing for round two. more snow. >> oh! >> reporter: from falling slabs of ice, even in plano, texas, to an absolute whiteo

, plus we'll get a live preview of president obama's speech at tomorrow's nelson mandela memorial and we will compare conservative fear mongering and the war on christmas with the economic reality of actually trying to celebrate christmas. all of that when "now" starts right after this. welcome to my mom cave. wow. sit down. you need some campbell's chunky soup before today's big game, new chunky cheeseburger. mmm. i love cheeseburgers. i know you do. when did you get this place? when i negotiated your new contract, it was part of the deal. cool. [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right. but at least i can help keep their underwear clean. with charmin ultra strong. i'll take that. go get 'em, buddy! [ female announcer ] charmin ultra strong has a duraclean texture and its four times stronger than the leading bargain brand. enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong. of their type 2 diabetes with non-insulin victoza®. for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar, but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about victoza®. he said victoza® is diffe

? we have everything you need to know. >>> and remember nelson mandela. president obama, the first lady and from people from around the world, arrivings in south africa. -- arriving in south africa. >>> it is 6:00 a.m. in johannesburg and already, the crowds are forming for the official state memorial service for nelson mandela. it's not scheduled to start for about five more hours. it was a rainy night and some umbrellas this morning, more rain. 94,000, in the stadium, but authorities are expecting a lot more. about four other stadiums have been secured that totally that would fill about 125,000 more people if that overflow is needed. of course security is tight with all of the dignitaries arriving throughout the day. we are monitoring this event. we are going to have a live report on the latest developments on the scene in just a little while. >>> the state will be in attendance according to president obama and first lady michelle obama. jonathan betz has more on that. >> it's going to be a who's who of dignitaries. according to 100 have rsvped so far. oprah winfrey and the spice girl

. it's 7:00 a.m. in johannesburg and the gates to the stadium where the official memorial for nelson mandela will be held. these are live pictures now. more than 100 world leaders plan to attend including president obama and his wife mrs. obama. the stadium holds 90,000 people but many more are expected to show up. al jazeera america will hold extended coverage, starting at 4:00 a.m. eastern, 1:00 a.m. pacific. >>> winter weather advisors posted from arkansas to maine. several people have died in storm related traffic accidents. thousands of flights have been cancelled nationwide. the. >>> the standoff continues in ukraine where opposition, security troops raided opposition headquarters monday. ever since the president vetoed a trade deal with europe in exchange for closer ties with russia. that's it, remember you can get more on the news at aljazeera.com. >> on america tonight: a medical break through, a treatment that could be critical to the future of many patients in the fight against cancer. >> it's not a drug. it's actually engineered cells. they are growing within the patient.

south africa for nelson mandela's memorial service tomorrow. president obama is expected to be among the 50 heads of state attending the event. prince charles will attend on behalf of queen elizabeth. yesterday was a day of prayer with the former leader remembered at churches across the country. officials say tomorrow's service will be full of prayer and celebration. >> the nation and the fans of south africa and madiba come together to pray for him. >> a family friend who visited mandela at his bedside who visited mandela at his bedside said he was not on life support during his final moments and he was surrounded by his family. stay with abc news as the world pays tribute to nelson mandela and later this half-hour, we will have remembrances from his grandchildren who cannot forget the most difficult days. >>> fans and friends of paul walker turned out for a public memorial in southern california. many brought flowers and many drove high-performance cars that walker loved so much. walker an a friend died last weekend in a fiery crash of a powerful porsche. the incident is still bein

presidents george w. bush, bill clinton, and jimmy carter as well. president obama will be giving a speech, about 20 minutes long. he'll talk about what nelson mandela meant to him and to south africa and the people of the world. we'll also be hearing from other world leaders from as diverse locations as china, india, and cuba. we'll be hearing from the family members and friends. i'm sure we'll be hearing a lot of strong, emotional words from these individuals. and i can tell you after having spent a couple of days here, it's not just going to be words. we're going to be hearing song and music and chanting and dancing. the camera man and i were inside the stadium for a coup of minutes a few moments ago and it is incredible. it is electric. we were in the middle of something that looked like a tsunami to us. it was not keeping anybody down. they are ready to go. but a slight delay as we're watching now the dignitaries and heads of state and leaders enter the stadium as well as as we look around tens of thousands of south africans coming as well. >> greg, i want to talk to you about

prepare to honor nelson mandela, heads of state from 89 nations are expected to attend activities and services tomorrow in south africa. this morning president obama, joined by first lady and former president george w. bush, laura bush, former secretary of state hillary clinton all left washington from andrews air force base on "air force one." president clinton and jimmy carter will be meeting them in south africa. president obama will be speaking at tomorrow's memorial service. nbc's ron allen live in soweto. ron, this is a gathering of the great, families, people of south africa all gathering. you have covered this so long. tell me about the emotions as people in south africa prepare? >>. >> reporter: it's an unbelievable atmosphere. we're across the street from the nelson mandela home, the home occupied from 1940s to 1990s. tomorrow is a day that will be unlike any other. there's more than 80 heads of state here. that will surpass the heads of state and world leaders who came to mourn and to say good-bye to pope john paul ii. largest gathering of heads of state outside of u.n. per